CP/CENT/EC. Parties, like the CPGB, which were affiliated to the Communist International (or Comintern), were obliged to send transcripts of the deliberations of their leading bodies to the Comintern headquarters in Moscow. In general, copies of these documents were not retained at CPGB headquarters in Britain, and are now only available as microfilm copies of the transcripts held in Moscow. The run of minutes listed here dates from after the CPGB's 16th congress in 1943, at which the Central Committee was renamed Executive Committee (EC). The role and functions of the EC are broadly summarised by the following excerpts from Rule 8 of the CPGB's Aims and Constitution adopted at its 26th congress in 1959: "The Executive Committee shall have full responsibility for the direction and control of the work of the Party and for the formulation of current policy, in accordance with the decisions of National Congress... [it] shall also have the power to decide on new policy, where events make this necessary."

From box CP/CENT/EC/06: FILE 4: Minutes and agenda, 10-11 January 1959: Notes by John Gollan and others; lists of suggested amendments to the final version of the British Road to Socialism,... (more...)